Army Corps of Engineers settles on highway route between I-12, Bush

The plan for a new four-lane highway between Interstate 12 and Bush now has a route to call its own. It’s known as Alternative Q, and the Army Corps of Engineers chose it because it’s the most practical route that causes the least amount of damage to the environment.

The 19.8-mile route begins at the intersection of Louisiana 21 and Louisiana 41, follows an abandoned railroad corridor, then continues southeast and connects with Louisiana 434 near Lacombe.

The state Department of Transportation and Development preferred the route known as Alternative P, which would have run 17.4 miles through the center of St. Tammany Parish. It was to begin at the intersection of Louisiana 40 and Louisiana 41 in Bush, follow the railroad corridor for a few miles, turn southwest for 13 miles and connect with I-12 at Louisiana 1088 near Mandeville.

The chosen route will destroy 305 acres of wetlands and will require the fewest bridges and culverts. The state’s preferred route would have destroyed 358 acres, though it would have provided more traffic relief, primarily from Louisiana 21 and Louisiana 59.

The Corps of Engineers also considered three other options: a route to the east, one to the west and no road at all.

The project still requires environmental permits before the state can build it. The state Department of Environmental Quality must issue a Water Quality Certification and a wetland impact mitigation plan that meets the approval of the Corps of Engineers, said Ricky Boyett, a spokesman for the corps.

Boyett noted that the general route might be set in stone, but that doesn’t mean that the state can’t modify the plan. For example, the state can alter the path slightly to avoid buildings that stand in the way.

The plan to build a highway between I-12 and Bush has been in the works for more than 20 years. Even though a route is now in place, it has been estimated that it would be another 10 years before construction begins.